Portlandia riffs on uber-cool, coastal Portland

Sketch comedy nails the quirky and Keen

Don’t mess with cranky clerks Toni and Candace at Women and Women First (in real life, the store and community centre In Other Words) or you might get locked in, like Steve Buscemi did in Portlandia.

Photograph by: IFC/AMC Networks

The only thing cooler than Portland just might be Portlandia, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein’s sketch-comedy sendup of the coastal Oregon hipster haven.

The hit indie show skewers some of Portland’s best-known traits, including its love of dogs, deejays and coffee and its reverence for cyclists and recycling. And it’s populated with enough oddball characters — including a slew of celebrity guest stars — to remind you that you’re definitely not in Kansas any more.

The fourth season of the show, created by and starring Saturday Night Live alumnus Armisen and Portland-based musician Brownstein, just kicked off on IFC in the U.S. and Superchannel in Canada (and many of its best skits are on YouTube). As always, it was shot in Portland and features many local attractions, shops and restaurants — some under their own names, but many get a fictional Portlandia identity.

Don’t fret, I’ve got the straight goods on some key Portlandia hot spots. If you don’t want to be taken for a lookie-loo tourist when you’re checking them out, wear a porkpie hat, nerdy glasses and a pair of Keen shoes — you’ll fit right in.

The Ace Hotel: Cleverly disguised as the Deuce Hotel in a season one episode, the Ace is almost as groovy as its Portlandia alter ego. No, you won’t be handed a turntable and a stack of vinyl albums when you check in, but the rooms have graffiti-like wall murals and there is a retro photo booth in the lobby, which (of course) connects to a great coffee shop, Stumptown Coffee Roasters. 1022 S.W. Stark St., www.acehotel.com/portland

Mint/820: This bar and bistro near the Moda Center, where the Portland Trail Blazers play, is where “mixologist” Andy Samberg makes Brownstein’s character a very special cocktail of rotten bananas, egg shells and charred ice, among other things. Thankfully, that’s not on the menu, but you can get a beet-infused vodka cocktail and a margarita made with cucumbers “muddled until they scream” (that’s what the menu says — I didn’t hear a peep). 816 North Russell St., www.mintand820.com

Paxton Gate: In a season two skit, this store masquerades as the quirky Artisan Knot Shop, where the oddball proprietor, played by Jeff Goldblum, sells nothing but decorative knots. Paxton Gate is almost as esoteric in real life. Owner Andy Brown stocks everything from taxidermied squirrels to baboon and badger skulls and all that you need to create your own carnivorous terrarium. The only place you’ll find the decorative knots from the series is as wall art in the bathroom. 4204 North Mississipi Ave., www.paxtongatepdx.com

Land Gallery: Just down the street from Paxton Gate is this cute little gift shop and art gallery, where Brownstein and Armisen discovered that everything looks better if you “put a bird on it” (if you’ve seen the skit, that’s debatable). Luckily, if you’re in an avian mood, there’s no DIY involved — you can find everything from tote bags to gift cards that are already bird-adorned. 3925 North Mississipi Ave., www.landpdx.com

Zupan’s: There are four Portland locations of this family-owned market, which boasts a selection of more than 500 beers and a six-tap station where you can refill your growler (how very Portland). In a season two Portlandia episode, it’s where guest star Jack McBrayer (Kenneth from 30 Rock) is ridiculed over the store’s public address system for not bringing his own bag. Don’t worry, that won’t happen to you — a clerk will give you a recyclable paper bag with a smile if you forget to bring your own. www.zupans.com

In Other Words: This feminist community centre appears several times in Portlandia as the Women and Women First bookstore. In the series’ very first episode, Steve Buscemi makes a guest appearance as a guy who pops in to use the bathroom, only to get bullied into buying something by no-nonsense clerks Toni and Candace. Ulimately, he gets locked in the store when they abruptly close up while he’s still in the loo. That part seemed a little less fictional when I showed up just after 6 p.m. to find the store locked and dark, even though the sign on the door said it was open until 7. Oh well, at least I was locked out and not in. 14 N.E. Killingsworth St., www.inotherwords.org

Firehouse: Brownstein and Armisen play patrons of this northeast Portland restaurant who freak out when they see a dog tied up on the patio and can’t find its owner. No captive canines were in sight on my visit, but the renovated 1913 Firehouse, which gets rave reviews from locals, was packed to the gills. 711 N.E. Dekum St., www.firehousepdx.com

Rock n’ Rose Vintage: Browstein’s character gets an unwelcome dose of humiliation from the clerk, played by Armisen, at this second-hand clothing store when she brings in a bag of used clothing to sell, only to see her “saggy ass sad girl shorts” being displayed in the shop window when she leaves. In real life, the staff are very friendly and the airy shop has a great selection of retro ’60s and ’70s clothing as well as cowboy boots. 616 E. Burnside St., www.rocknroseinc.com

Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants: In a hilarious season one vignette called Coffee Land, Armisen and Browstein play harajuku girls from Tokyo who make a beeline straight from the airport to a coffee shop in northeast Portland. Portlandia fans will be disappointed to discover that it’s now a gym, but right next door in the same cool old building is this lovely tea shop, which has about 90 different teas that it blends in house and offers free tastings. 724 N.E. 22nd Ave., www.thejasminepearl.com

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